Product providing sheet samples

ABSTRACT

A product including: a stack comprising a plurality of individual sheets and the stack enclosed within a dispenser; the stack having a first portion comprising a first sheet material and a second portion comprising a second sheet material; and wherein the first sheet material is different from the second sheet material. The product is useful for providing a free sample of a new or improved sheet material that is included with an existing regular product.

BACKGROUND

For many products, it is often desirable to provide a free sample of the product for consumers to try. The intent of the free sample pack or trial package is to introduce the new product to the consumer with their regular purchase of an existing product. It is hoped that by receiving a free sample or trial amount of the new product, the consumer will purchase a normal sized package of the new product on their next visit to the store. Free samples are useful to promote products such as facial tissue, bath tissue, paper towels, napkins, wet wipes and other products made from thin flexible substrates intended for personal care or cleansing use.

In many instances, the free samples are placed into smaller containers and packages to form a sample pack or trial package. The sample pack or trial package is then often attached to the full-size package of a different consumer product made by the same manufacturer. Alternatively, the sample pack or trial package is disposed within the full-size package of a different consumer product made by the same manufacturer. While sample packs or trial packages are useful for introducing a new product, the cost and complexity of packaging a small amount of the new product and then combining the sample pack or trial package with a full-size regular package can be too expensive, time consuming, or difficult for widespread use. Many times it can be easier to just offer a full-size package of the new product at a significantly reduced cost using coupons rather than attempt to provide a free sample pack with an existing product. This method of promotion has a drawback in that it requires the consumer to be sufficiently interested to find and purchase the product without having the benefit of trying it first.

Therefore, there remains a need for a product and a method of providing free samples conveniently within an existing product. There is also a need for a product and a method of providing free samples that can eliminate the separate packaging of the free sample.

SUMMARY

These and other needs are met by the product and method according to the present invention by forming a stack of individual sheets, locating within the stack a number of sample sheets of a different sheet material, and then placing the stack having two different sheet materials into a dispenser. Thus, the consumer can purchase a full-size package of the regular sheet material and receive within the package a free sample of a different sheet material for them to sample. Because the separate packaging step for the sample material is eliminated, it is inexpensive and efficient to form the two different sheet materials on the same converting line into-one stack for insertion into the same dispenser.

Hence, in one aspect, the invention resides in a product including: a stack having a top and a bottom, the stack comprising a plurality of individual sheets, and the stack enclosed within a dispenser; the stack having a first sheet portion comprising a first sheet material and a second sheet portion comprising a second sheet material; and wherein the first sheet material is different from the second sheet material.

In another aspect, the invention resides in a method of providing a sample of a first sheet material with a second sheet material comprising: assembling a stack having a top and a bottom from a plurality of individual sheets formed from the first sheet material and the second sheet material, and wherein the first sheet material is different than the second sheet material; locating the first sheet material in a specific location within the stack; and inserting the stack into a dispenser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above aspects and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross section of one embodiment of the invention taken at 1-1 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 illustrates a dispenser for sheet materials.

Repeated use of reference characters in the specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the invention.

Definitions

As used herein, forms of the words “comprise”, “have”, and “include” are legally equivalent and open-ended. Therefore, additional non-recited elements, functions, steps, or limitations may be present in addition to the recited elements, functions, steps, or limitations.

As used herein, “sheet material” is a flexible substrate, which is useful for household chores, cleaning, personal care, health care, food wrapping, and cosmetic application or removal. Non-limiting examples of suitable substrates for use with the dispenser include nonwoven substrates; woven substrates; hydro-entangled substrates; air-entangled substrates; single or multi-ply paper substrates comprising cellulose such as tissue paper, toilet paper, facial tissue, paper towels or napkins; waxed paper substrates; conform substrates comprising cellulose fibers and polymer fibers; wet substrates such as wet wipes, moist cleaning wipes, moist toilet paper, and baby wipes; film or plastic substrates such as those used to wrap food; and shop towels. Furthermore, laminated or plied together substrates of two or more layers of any of the preceding substrates are also suitable.

As used herein, “wet sheet material” includes substrates that are either wet or pre-moistened by an appropriate liquid, partially moistened by an appropriate liquid, or containing encapsulated liquids. Wet sheet materials generally have a moisture content of greater than about 10% by weight of the dry substrate. Suitable wet sheet materials can have encapsulated ingredients such that the capsules rupture during dispensing or use. Examples of encapsulated materials include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,757, entitled Encapsulated Materials and issued to El-Nokaly on Jun. 1, 1993, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,555, entitled Encapsulated Cosmetic Compositions and issued to El-Nokaly on Feb. 4, 1997. Other suitable wet sheet materials include dry substrates that deliver liquid when subjected to in-use shear and compressive forces. Such substrates are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,165, entitled Wet-Like Cleaning Articles and issued to Mackay et al. on Sep. 19, 2000.

As used herein, “substantially dry sheet material” includes substrates that are initially dry (less than about 10% by weight of the substrate of water or liquid) but intended to be moistened prior to use by placing the substrate into an appropriate liquid such as water or a solvent. Non-limiting examples of substantially dry substrates include substrates containing lathering surfactants and conditioning agents either impregnated into or applied to the substrate such that wetting of the substrate with water prior to use yields a personal cleansing product. Such substrates are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,931, entitled Cleansing Products Having A Substantially Dry Substrate that issued to Fowler et al. on Nov. 9, 1999.

As used herein a “flat dispenser” is a dispenser that dispenses sheet materials that have been assembled into a stack that is placed directly into the dispenser. In one embodiment, the flat dispenser comprised a facial tissue carton, forming a parallelepiped, made from board stock having an overall length of approximately 240 mm and a width of approximately 120 mm. The height of the flat dispenser can be variable depending on the number of sheets within the stack.

As used herein an “upright dispenser” is a dispenser that dispenses sheet materials that have been assembled into a stack and the stack folded into a “U” or “J” shape prior to insertion into the dispenser. In one embodiment, the upright dispenser comprised a facial tissue carton made from board stock having an overall height of approximately 127 mm and a footprint or bottom of approximately 110 mm by 110 mm that formed a parallelepiped having a generally cubical shape.

As used herein, “a first sheet material is different from a second sheet material” when the two sheet materials differ in structure, the two sheet materials are statistically different in their physical properties, the two sheet materials differ in the components they are made from, or the two sheet materials differ in the additives or chemicals applied to them. A variation in the color of the sheet materials through dying is not considered a difference for the purposes of this invention if the sheet materials are otherwise identical in nature. Similarly, a difference in the way the sheet materials are folded is not considered a difference for the purposes of this invention if the sheet materials are otherwise identical in nature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention, which broader aspects are embodied in the exemplary construction.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, one embodiment of the invention is shown. A stack 20 of sheet material is enclosed within a dispenser 22. The stack has a top 40 and a bottom 42. For the purposes of illustration, the folding of the sheet material has been expanded in FIG. 1. In a typical stack, many more individual sheets would be present and large spaces would not be present between adjacent sheets. The stack includes a first sheet portion 24 and a second sheet portion 26. Each portion of the stack 20 includes a plurality of individual sheets 28. In order to provide for a sample of a new product, the sheets 28 in the first sheet portion 24 are formed from a first sheet material 30 and the remaining sheets 28 in the second portion 26 are formed from a second sheet material 32 with the first and second sheet materials (30, 32) being different. In this manner, a small sample of a new or different sheet material (first sheet portion 24) can be provided within a full-size package of an existing product. Since the sample is provided within the existing package, the costs and complexity of producing trial packages and providing them with existing products can be eliminated.

In one embodiment, only one free sample is provided and the first sheet portion 24 is located at the top of the stack 20 adjacent to the dispensing opening 56. This provides instantaneous use of the free sample upon opening the package. In another embodiment, only one sample is provided and the first sheet portion 24 is located at the bottom of the stack adjacent to the bottom 50 of the dispenser 22. This provides exposure to the free sample just before needing to replace the regular product, prompting the consumer to buy a full size package of the free sample at the next shopping trip. In still another embodiment, only one sheet portion is provided and the first sheet portion 24 can be located or sandwiched within the stack 20 at an intermediate location between the top 40 and bottom 42 of the stack. In still another embodiment, two free samples are provided with an initial free sample provided in the first sheet portion 24 located at the top of the stack 40 adjacent to the dispensing opening 56, and a second free sample provided in the first sheet portion 24 located at the bottom of the stack 42 adjacent to the dispenser's bottom 50. In this embodiment, the second sheet portion 26 forms the middle of the stack. For example, five sheets at the start of the stack and the last five sheets within the stack could be the first sheet portion 24. In this manner, the consumer can experience the free sample twice—once upon initial opening and at a second time just before the product runs out, prompting them to buy the new product when shopping to replace the recently depleted product.

The first sheet portion 24 can include between about 2 to about 30 sheets, or between about 5 to about 20 sheets, or between about 5 to about 10 sheets. The second sheet portion 26 can include the remaining number of sheets needed to complete the advertised sheet count for the product. In general, the second sheet portion will include at least 30 sheets, or at least 50 sheets, or at least 75 sheets, or at least 100 sheets. For pocket pack facial tissue or other smaller packages where the sheet count can be less than about 15 sheets in total, the first sheet portion can include between about 1 to about 5 sheets, or between about 1 to about 3 sheets. Thus, the total of all first sheet portions can comprise between about 1 percent to about 40 percent, or between about 1 percent to about 25 percent, or between about 1 percent to about 15 percent, or between about 1 percent to about 5 percent of the sheets within the stack 20.

The sheets 28 within the stack 20 can be laid flat, folded for reach-in dispensing into a C-fold or other folded configuration where withdrawal of a preceding sheet does not partially withdraw the next sheet into the dispensing opening 56, or interfolded for pop-up dispensing into a V-fold as illustrated or other folded configuration where withdrawal of a preceding sheet partially withdraws the next sheet into the dispensing opening 56. Alternatively, the sheets could be joined together with weakened lines such as perforations, or lightly bonded or adhesively attached to one another for pop-up dispensing, yet be easily separable into individual sheets.

Various sheet materials can be combined to make the stack 20 for the purposes of providing a sample of a new product. For example, the first and second sheet materials could be combinations of dry or substantially dry sheet materials. Alternatively, the first and second sheet materials could both be wet sheet materials. In one embodiment, the first sheet material 30 was a non-woven, such as a spun lace, and the second sheet material 32 was tissue paper. Both sheet materials are intended for personal care use with the first sheet material being a free sample. In another embodiment, the first sheet material 30 was tissue paper, having an applied lotion and the second sheet material 32 was tissue paper without an applied lotion, with the lotion treated tissue being a free sample. Various lotions commonly applied to tissue paper as known to those of skill in the art can be used. In one embodiment, the lotion tissue can be made according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,242 entitled Multifunctional Facial Tissue that issued Jul. 13, 1993 to Walter et al. or according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,707 entitled Controlled Coverage Additive Application that issued Apr. 17, 2001 to Garvey et al. In another embodiment, the first sheet material 30 was tissue paper having an optional lotion and an antiviral agent, and the second sheet material 32 was tissue paper without an applied antiviral agent or optional lotion, with the antiviral tissue being a free sample. In one embodiment, the antiviral tissue can be made according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,912 entitled Virucidal Product Having Virucidal and/or Germicidal Properties that issued May 9, 1989 to Hossain et al.

The dispenser 22 can be any suitable dispenser for wet or dry sheet materials such as a flat or an upright dispenser. Alternative dispensers can include soft packs having a flexible film wrapper, a soft pack with a flexible reseal label or rigid plastic dispensing cover, or rigid plastic dispensers often used for packaging wet wipes,

In one embodiment, the dispenser included a top 48, a bottom 50, and a sidewall 51 formed from a first pair 52 and a second pair of opposing sidewalls 54 that intersect at approximately 90 degree angles. The top 48 includes a dispensing opening 56 that can be any size or shape such as square, rectangular, circular, triangular or oval. In an alternative embodiment, the dispensing opening 56 has a portion that resides in the top and another portion that resides in the sidewall 51.

The dispensing opening can include a dispensing window 58 made from a suitable material such as a film, nonwoven, or paper material that can retain a partially dispensed sheet within the dispensing opening for pop-up dispensing. The dispensing window 58 can include a dispensing orifice 60 that can be a slit; a curvilinear line; a geometric shape such as an oval, a circle, or a triangle; or an X-shaped, +-shaped or H-shaped slit or slot. Alternatively, the dispensing window 58 can be eliminated and fingers or tabs projecting into the dispensing opening 56 can be used to retain the partially dispensed sheet.

For ease of loading the stack 20 into the dispenser 22 using automated packaging equipment, generally the first pair of opposing sidewalls 52 are unitary and the second pair of opposing sidewalls 54 are formed from a plurality of flaps. The second pair of opposing sidewalls 54 can include an upper major flap 62, a lower major flap 64, a left minor flap 66, and a right minor flap 68. The flaps can be folded such that they overlap and then are glued together to form the second pair of opposing sidewalls 54 after filling the dispenser 22 with the stack 20.

Numerous processes can be used to form the stack 20 comprised of two different sheet materials (30, 32). For example, a multi-folder can be used. A multi-folder has a plurality of unwinds where rolls of sheet materials are unwound, drawn over folding boards to make either a “C”, “V” or “Z” fold and then either interfolded or stacked into a continuous sausage of the folded material. The sausage is then cut to length into individual clips, or the stack 20, that can then be inserted into a dispenser 22 such as a carton by an automatic cartoner. Such a process is highly efficient and automated. To produce the stack 20 having a first sheet portion 24 of a different sheet material, rolls of the first sheet material 30 can be hung on some of the unwinds of the multi-folder and the remaining unwinds can be hung with the second sheet material 32. Thus, the continuous sausage can be made having the first and second sheet portions (24, 26) of different sheet materials. Alternatively, separate stacks of different sheet materials can be made by an interfolder. The separate stacks can then be combined into a single stack having the configuration shown in FIG. 1. The stacks can be combined manually in a separate co-packing operation, or automatically by suitable equipment when stacked into the bucket of an automatic cartoner that loads the stack into a carton.

The invention also resides in a method of providing a sample of a first sheet material with a second sheet material. The method includes the steps of assembling a stack having a top and a bottom from a plurality of individual sheets formed from the first sheet material and the second sheet material, and wherein the first sheet material is different than the second sheet material. Locating the first sheet material in a specific location within the stack and then inserting the stack into a dispenser. The locating step can include placing the first sheet material at the top of the stack, placing the first sheet material at the bottom of the stack, placing the first sheet material in the middle of the stack, or placing the first sheet material at both the top of the stack and the bottom of the stack.

Other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. It is understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged in whole or part. All cited references, patents, or patent applications in the above application for letters patent are herein incorporated by reference in a consistent manner. In the event of inconsistencies or contradictions between the incorporated references and this application, the information present in this application shall prevail. The preceding description, given by way of example in order to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the claimed invention, is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and all equivalents thereto. 

1. A product comprising: a stack having a top and a bottom, the stack comprising a plurality of individual sheets, and the stack enclosed within a dispenser; the stack having at least one first sheet portion comprising a first sheet material and a second sheet portion comprising a second sheet material; and wherein the first sheet material is different from the second sheet material.
 2. The product of claim 1 wherein the first and the second sheet materials are folded for reach-in dispensing.
 3. The product of claim 1 wherein the first and the second sheet materials are interfolded for pop-up dispensing.
 4. The product of claim 1 wherein the first and the second sheet materials are dry or substantially dry sheet materials.
 5. The product of claim 1 wherein the first and the second sheet materials are wet sheet materials.
 6. The product of claim 1 wherein the first sheet material comprises a non-woven and the second sheet material comprises tissue paper.
 7. The product of claim 6 wherein the non-woven comprises a spun lace material.
 8. The product of claim 1 wherein the first sheet material comprises tissue paper having an applied lotion and the second sheet material comprises tissue paper without an applied lotion.
 9. The product of claim 1 wherein the first sheet material comprises tissue paper having an applied antiviral agent and the second sheet material comprises tissue paper without an applied antiviral agent.
 10. The product of claim 1 wherein the first sheet portion is located at the top of the stack.
 11. The product of claim 1 wherein the first sheet portion is located at the bottom of the stack.
 12. The product of claim 1 wherein one first sheet portion is located at the top of the stack, another first sheet portion is located at the bottom of the stack, and the second sheet portion forms the middle of the stack.
 13. The product of claims 1, 10, 11, or 12 wherein the first sheet portion comprises between about 5 to about 20 sheets.
 14. The product of claims 1, 10, 11, or 12 wherein the total of all the first sheet portions comprises between about 1 percent to about 40 percent of the sheets within the stack.
 15. A product comprising: a stack having a top and a bottom, the stack comprising a plurality of individual sheets, and the stack enclosed within a dispenser; the stack having a first portion comprising a first sheet material and a second portion comprising a second sheet material; and wherein the first sheet material is different from the second sheet material and the second sheet material comprises facial tissue.
 16. A method of providing a sample of a first sheet material with a second sheet material comprising: assembling a stack having a top and a bottom from a plurality of individual sheets formed from the first sheet material and the second sheet material, and wherein the first sheet material is different than the second sheet material; locating the first sheet material in a specific location within the stack; and inserting the stack into a dispenser.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the locating comprises placing the first sheet material at the top of the stack.
 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the locating comprises placing the first sheet material at the bottom of the stack.
 19. The method of claim 16 wherein the locating comprises placing the first sheet material at both the top of the stack and the bottom of the stack. 